US628386A - Bicycle-chain. - Google Patents

Description

No. 628,386. Patented July 4, I899.

' D. R. BERRY &. W. P. BONNELL, .IR.

BICYCLE -GHAlN.

(Application filed Oct. 13, 1898.)

'-No Model.

m: NDRRxS PETERS co.v PHOTO-LITHD.,WASN1NGYON, n. c.

U ITED STATES DAVID ROSS BERRY, OF

HARRISON, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AND WILLIAM P. BONNELL, JR, OF

BICYCLE-CHAIN..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,386, dated July 4, 1899. Application filed October 13, 1898. Serial No. 693,387. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID Ross BERRY, residing at Harrison, in the county of Union, and WILLIAM P. BONNELL, J r., residing at Newark, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle- Chains; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of chains for sprocket-wheels, and more particularly for the sprocket-wheels of bicycles, the links of which are adapted to be dissociated to permit an easy reassem bling of parts in the event of an injury or breakage of one of the links or pivotal pins thereof, and thus to enable a chain to be quickly repaired should a breakage occur while the'vehicle to which it is attached is at a distance from a repair-shop, the objects of the present improvements being to obtain and secure a more perfect looking of the links, to avoid the use of projecting parts such -as will be apt to catch upon the garment of the rider, to facilitate the work of repairing, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved chain and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan, of a chain having our improvements. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a set of assembled links on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a section of the same, taken on line 00, Fig. 3; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail side views of certain links, which will be hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 7 is a plan of one of the links in permanent relation to the studs or pivots.

in said drawings, a a to indicate a series of links or blocks between which the sprockets of the sprocket-wheels of a bicycle or other device are adapted to enter in the operation being concavous, as at a, at their inner edges and at their opposite ends being perforated to receive the ends of the pivotal pins 6 and f. The perforations in the side links I) are of usualform and the studs or pins efare permanently fastened therein by reducing the ends of said studs or pins to form the shoulders b and upsetting the projecting ends by any ordinary riveting operation to form the heads b While the stud or pivotf is in permanent connection with the link b, it is not fixed therein, as in the case of the stud 6, but is free to turn. To prevent a fixture of the stud f in the riveting operation, we prefer to form in the reduced projecting end of the stud a groove 1), Fig. 7, just outside of the face of the link, to prevent the pivotal shank b from.

swelling and binding in its perforation, and so the head 19 may be formed on the stud, pivot, or pin fand be broughtclose to the outside of the link I) to prevent any lengthwise movement of the said stud in said link without the parts being clamped in fixed relation'one with the other.

The side links 0 d at the opposite sides of the blocks or links a a from the links I) and the stud or pin ends entering the same are of peculiar construction and permit an easy and quick detachment of parts while in service and produce a neat finish devoid of catching projections and secure an arrangement of parts not liable to be prematurely detached one part from another.

The pivots or pins of each set are formed as shown more clearly in Figs. 3, at, and '7,

where the pin 6 at its detachable end is reduced in diameter to form a shoulder e, against which the inner face of the side link 0 impinges, and a pivotal bearing 6 of about the length of the thickness of said link 0.

Outside of the bearing e the stud c is further reduced, as at 6 forming an annular groove 6 of the width of the key-link d. At the extremity of the stud the same is provided with a head e adapted to project over the outside of the key-link a distance sufficient to hold said key-link against the outer side of the link 0, as will be hereinafter described.

The end of the rotary stud f opposite the plate I) is also of peculiar construction, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Said stud f is reduced, as at f to form a shoulderf, the reduced partf also being of a length equal to the thickness of the link a. At its extremity it is provided with a cross-head f of greater length than the width, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The side links 0 d are each removable from the studsor pins 6 f to permit a broken part in the chain to be quickly replaced, and to this 'end the link 0 at one end is perforated, as at c, Fig. 6, to nicely fit the reduced hearing 6 of the stud e and at the other end is provided with a closed longitudinal slot 0 to pass over the cross-head f and lie upon the reduced bearing f Said link 0 having been placed on the studs ef, the same is held thereon first by turning the cross-head f which thus fastens said link 0 against any lateral displacement. It is also fastened at its opposite end by the key-link d, which at its ends is provided with a closed keyhole-slot d, or a slot larger at one end than at the other, and a transverse closed slot 01 fitting on the transverse head f The key-link is placed over the head e the latter passing through the larger end of the slot d, and is drawn lengthwise, so that the bearing e passes into the small end of the keyhole-slot and the head e presses against the outside face of the keylink, holding the latter against the link 0. The end having the transverse slot 01 then springs down over the cross-head f thus locking the stud f against turning from its locked relation to the link 0. When in this position. the kev-link bearing hard on both the studs e f takes the strain of the sprockets bearing on the studs, so that said studs are held in proper relative position. The spring power of the key-link is sufficient to hold said spring at its free end in locking relation to the cross-head while the chain is undergoing its power-transmitting operations, but is sufficiently flexible to permit of its being easily raised over the cross-head f when the parts are to be dissociated.

By the construction described it will be noticed that there are no open slots such as would produce catching projections on the chain, and the chain presents to view no unsightly parts tending to render the chain objectionable in the market.

In operating the device to effect a separation of parts the key-link is first raised at its free end away from the cross-head of the stud f and is then pushed lengthwise to bring the stud 6 into the enlargement of the slot d,-

when the said key-link is easily removed. Then the stud f is turned to bring the crosshead into alinement with the slot 0 after which the link 0 is free to be drawn off from the studs.

It is intended that the wheelman shall be supplied with a set of parts composing the chain, and in the event of the chain being broken the broken part can be readily removed and replaced with facility.

Having thus described the invention, what We claim as new is- 1. In a sprocket-wheel chain, the combination with blocks a, a, of side links I), I), each having studs attached thereto, one of said studs being pivotally movable in said side link and provided with a cross-head and reduced bearing and the other of said studs being provided with a reduced bearing 6 a further reduced bearing 6 and a head e side links 0, each havinga perforation c, and 1on gitudinal slot 0 and key-links each having a keyhole-slot d, and a transverse slot d all said parts being arranged and operating, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sprocket-wheel chain, the combination with the blocks a, a, of side links Z), Z), and c, c, and studs 6, f, having heads 6 f and key-links each of which is provided at one end with a closed longitudinal keyholeslot and at the other with a closed transverse slot, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 6th day of October, 1898.

DAVID ROSS BERRY.

WILLIAM P. BONNELL, JR. Vitnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY.

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